Over The Edge Page 2 NEWS November 30,1999 UNB Students Launch Online Textbook | Trading Company by David Mahoney ’ [Workers erected a glass partition around the security office November 17. The glass closes in the security desk and has a siding window that can be opened to talk to people on the outside. Though it makes the security desk look like the kind of bul- letproof security cubby found in a besieged Guatemalan bank, the Commissionaires insist it is nothing of the sort. The glass, they say is to control noise levels in the office so that they can hear their radios and talk on the tele- Work term: 3 / 4 Walls go up Position: Information Technology Co-op Student Company: Suncor Energy ‘Location: Fort McMurray, Alberta Employment period: 8 months phone more without having to shout. The cur- rent design of the office allows sound to be focused and amplified for those inside. “This office acts like a speaker’, said Kelly, a member of the UNBC Commissionaires. The window at the desk will stay open, except for when there is a lot of noise outside, like dur- ing events in the Wintergarden. The com- missionaires want to remain approachable, and say they are not try- ing to build a barrier between them and the m and the public. Why say it twice? Just 75¢ per use. Cost for this survice 1s Tie pe! use, to @ mammure of $9.60 por month te residenbal customers. Talk to two people at once. Try 3 Way Calling today. See the opening pages in your TELUS White Pages Directory for details. et Lus" By Mark Elton SACKVILLE, NB (CUP) — Fed up with the spi- ralling cost of textbooks, brothers David and Mike Goyette have come up with a plan to help students save money. Last week, the two University of . New Brunswick business stu- dents launched University Traders, a free online textbook trading company for stu- dents across the coun- try. The idea of creating a textbook trading ser- vice came to them after Talk about your adventures into the unknown! When Jason Hess, a Computer Science Major, was |looking to complete his third and fourth co-op work terms he came across. Suncor Energy Oil Sands located in Fort McMurray, Alberta. Suncor is a producer and marketer of cus- tom-blended refinery fuel and one of the few companies that pro- vides free accommoda- tions and travel assis- tance to its co-op stu- dents. All in all, not a bad deal. When speak- ing to Jason it became clear that his focus is on the social benefits of Co-op Education, “ It has made me more open. Going into an unknown environment forces you to come out of your shell. It has changed the way that | deal with people and relate to them.” For Jason, Co-op has pro- vided the opportunity to develop interpersonal skills, establish con- tacts in his field, build his resume, and enabled Jason to grad- uate debt free which is something most of us they shelled out hun- ‘dreds of dollars for brand new books. “We couldn’t afford it at the time,” said Mike, who along with his brother has been in the web design business for three years. “But the cost of technology has gone down, and now we're able to provide this service to students. If their idea catches on, it will offer a real alter- native to the standard campus bulletin board. Typically, the sale of ’ textbooks involves mak- ing copies of a poster and distributing __ it students can appreci- ate. When asked how Co-op has influenced his career and academ- ic goals Jason replied: “ It has made me focus on being happy in the work place and made me realize the impor-|. tance of an enjoyable job. It helped me realize the kind of company | want to work for. Co-op has also given me the opportunity to see the value of my education} from a. employer's point of view and this has given it more value.” Jason’s advice and survival tips for future Co-op Education stu- dents: “Take the initia- tive to achieve your goals, be reasonable in your expectations, and make sure that you get what you want out of your job and your Co- op experience.” Jason’s top. three reasons to opt for Co- op: . 1, Money. , 2: Personal growth. 3. Attaining work| experience is important to the people who are looking to hire.you. . around campus. Many students do not have time for this, and as a result textbooks. collect dust when they could be resold to other students struggling with the inflated cost of new books. “We're helping the buyer and _ seller meet,” said David. “We're making a mar- ketplace.” He adds that visitors to www.universitytraders.c om will find more than textbooks. “Students should check out our Hitch A Ride and Classified Ads. And if what they’re looking for isn’t there, we'll add it,” he said. Existing entirely in cyberspace, University Traders does not hold inventories or broker trades. “It's like a bul- letin board that you'd see on campus where you tear off a number, but more convenient and searchable,” said David. Opening an account takes less than a minute and costs nothing, and. after logging on for the first time new account ‘holders can immediate- ly post textbooks they want to sell. Interested students can browse the site without starting an account, but the Goyettes emphasize the benefits of opening an account. “Now is the time to put books up on the site,” said Mike. “Account holders can post-date their sales and set up trades in advance.” “You know when your ‘final exams are,” added David. “You can arrange to sell your textbooks immediately afterwards _ if you like. To make this work, students need to sell books as well as buy them.” The Goyettes run University Traders ‘largely by . themselves. Mike takes care of most of the web page work and design, while David - has teamed up with Jeff Ball, a new addition to the business, in tackling administration and sales. Now all three of them will have to focus on sales, says David. “Right now we're trying to capture our user mar- ket,” he said. “Hopefully University Traders will gain momentum as stu- dents and corporate sponsors begin to see us as a viable service.” To cover their costs, which include running their server and market- ing the site to students, University Traders look to corporate sponsors. Advertising is continual- - ly sold on a tiered basis to regional and national businesses. “This is not just paid advertising, but also an opportunity for busi- nesses that are largely. reliant on students ‘as customers to _give something back to those who provide the majority of their busi- ness,” said David. “All that is needed for University Traders to challenge the book- stores is for students to use it” . Mike cites another important feature of. University Traders: the database is ISBN- searchable. Students can go to the bookstore, write down the ISBN (serial number) of the textbooks, they need and then check to if other students on their campus are offering them second-hand. “Why participate in bookstore buy-backs and allow the bookstore to profit twice?” asked David. “Why not, keep the money in the hands of students?” (Continued on Page 3)